Paper plate



July 16, 1963 c. LE ROY WITMER 3,097,780

PAPER PLATE Filed Sept. 12, 1961 r 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTdAA/fyI July 16,1963 Filed Sept. 12, 1961 C. LE ROY WITMER I PAPER PLATE 2 Sheets-Sheet2 BY WWW @w WWW United States Patent 3,097,780 PAPER PLATE Clarence LeRoy Witmer, Lands-dale, Pa., assignor to American Can Company, New York,N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Sept. 12, 1961, Ser. No. 137,6494 Claims. (Cl. 229-15) The present invention pertains to a plate ordish, formed from relatively thin paperboard and in particular pertainsto a construction for such an article wherein the configuration of theperipheral rim lends rigidity to the article.

Paper plates or dishes made from relatively thin fiexible fibreboard areold and well known in the art. The most usual manner of using thesearticles is in buffet-type feeding wherein the food is placed on theplate at one place and the food-laden plate is then carried to someother place for consumption. People using such a plate have a tendencyto grasp it adjacent its peripheral edge; and, due to the inherentflexibility of the material, when a food-laden plate is so grasped quiteoften it will flex or bend at the point grasped oftentimes spilling thefood.

Ways and means of improving the rigidity of such paper plates has beenan area of continuing investigation by the paper plate manufacturers.However, coupled with the problem of improving this rigidity is the needto maintain a paper plate construction which is very inexpensive. Ifthis last requirement is not met, the construction defeats one of thebasic functions of a paper plate; that is an inexpensive article adaptedfor single use and disposal.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a paperdish or plate formed from relatively thin fibreboard which has improvedrigidity.

Another object is to provide a paper plate having improved rigiditywhich is inexpensive in raw materials and to manufacture.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparentas it is better understood from the following description, which, takenin connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferredembodiment thereof.

The present invention involves providing the rim of the paper plate ordish with a plurality of regularly shaped bosses in spaced linesextending around the periphery of the plate.

Referring to the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the paper plate of the instant invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the plate shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along line 33of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along line 44of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view similar to FIG. 2. but showing amodified form thereof.

The following description of the instant invention will be of a circularpaper plate. However, it is to be understood that the instant inventionmay be used on paper plates having other configurations such as squareor rectangular. The paper or fibreboard from which the Plate of theinstant invention is made has a thickness of about from .015 to .023 andpreferably about .019 inch. Fibre- "ice board having such a thicknesshas little resistance to flexing or bending when a load is appliednormal to one of its major surfaces.

As a preferred or exemplary embodiment of the instant invention FIG. 1shows a one piece paper plate generally designated 10, having a circularcentral panel -11. Extending upwardly and outwardly from the peripheryof panel 11 is an arcuate side wall 112. Extending outwardly andslightly upwardly from the upper edge of the wall 1 2 is a rim generallydesignated 13 which terminates at its outer free edge in a downturnedskirt 1-4.

Embossed in the surface of the rim '13 are a plurality of regularlyshaped bosses 15 (FIG. 2). The bosses 15 are arranged on the rim 13 inthree circumferential lines or concentric circles. The first circle ofbosses is contiguous the juncture of rim 13 and the wall 12; theoutermost or third circle of bosses is adjacent the rim skirt 14; andthe second circle of bosses is disposed between the first and thirdcircles. It has been found that at least two circles of bosses arenecessary to improve the bending resistance of the paper plate and thatthree circles of bosses provide an optimum compromise between improvingthe bending resistance of the plate and ease of manufacture. However, itis to be understood that plates having more than three circles of bossesare included within the purview of the instant invention.

The bosses in each circle or circumferential line are substantiallyuniform in shape and size and are uniformly distributed around thecircle, with each circle having the same number of bosses. To accomplishthis, since the circumference of the circle increases as its radiusincreases, the bosses in the outer circles are larger than bosses in theinner circles. Also, by reference to the dot-dash lines in FIGS. 3 and4, it can be seen that the height of the bosses above the surface of therim 13 is greater in the outer circles than in the inner circles.

The bosses are staggered in a radial direction so that the bosses inevery other circle are in radial alignment. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2,each boss is substantially rectangular, and is separated from the nextboss in its circle by a substantially rectangular flat 16. Due to thestaggered relationship between the rectangular bosses 15, the bosses inthe second or intermediate circle have all four edges abutting a flat16'. However, there is corner contact between the bosses in adjacentcircles.

FIG. 5 shows a modified form of the subject invention wherein the rim 13of the plate 10 has circular bosses 15a having flats or depressions 16atherebetween. The size, height and position relationships between thebosses 15a are the same as for the bosses 15.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantageswill be understood from the foregoing description and it will beapparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction, andarrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the formhereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. In a paper plate composed of a relatively flexible paperboard andhaving a central panel, a wall extending obliquely upwardly from saidpanel, and a rim extending substantially outwardly from said wall, theimprovement comprising a first line of regularly shaped bosses extendingaround said rim, and a second line of said bosses spaced outwardly fromand adjacent to said first line, the bosses in said first line beingcontiguous the juncture of said wall and said rim, the bosses in each ofsaid first and second lines being regularly spaced, and each boss insaid second line being contiguous and in staggered relation to a boss insaid first line.

2. The plate set forth in claim 1 wherein said rim has a third line ofbosses extending around the periphery of said rim, outwardly from saidsecond line, and each boss in said third line is contiguous and instaggered relation to a boss in said second line.

3. The plate set forth in claim 2 wherein the bosses in each line aresubstantially the same size and shape.

4. The plate set forth in claim 3 wherein the bosses increase in sizeand height from said first line to said third line.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

1. IN A PAPER PLATE COMPOSED OF A RELATIVELY FLEXIBLE PAPERBOARD ANDHAVING A CENTRAL PANEL, A WALL EXTENDING OBLIQUELY UPWARDLY FROM SAIDPANEL, AND A RIM EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY OUTWARDLY FROM SAIDWALL, THEIMPROVEMENT COMPRISING A FIRST LINE OF REGULARLY SHAPED BOSSES EXTENDINGAROUND SAID RIM, AND A SECOND LINE OF SAID BOSSES SPACED OUTWARDLY FROMAND ADJACENT TO SAID FIRST LINE, THE BOSSES IN SAID FIRST LINE BEINGCONTIGUOUS THE JUNCTURE OF SAID WALL AND SAID RIM, THE BOSSES IN EACH OFSAID FIRST AND SECOND LINES BEING REGULARLY SPACED, AND EACH BOSS INSAID SECOND LINE BEING CONTIGUOUS AND IN STAGGERED RELATION TO A BOSS INSAID FIRST LINE.